Green Day (w/ Catfish and the Bottlemen) @ BB&T Pavilion (Camden, NJ) on August 31, 2017 [Photos & Show Review]

Seeing Green Day is an out of body experience. They think of everything: from the stage setup, to fan interaction, to a 2 1/2 hour setlist, Green Day is a band that I would highly suggest putting at the top of your list to go see. This particular tour was outdoor pavilions and the band brought along brit-rockers Catfish and the Bottlemen to open up the show. All in all it was an incredible evening and I wish I could live through it again.

Catfish and The Bottlemen had the perfect energy to open up the show. With the smoke and amazing light display, the band was brought to life, performing hits from their two albums The Balcony and The Ride. The song “7” had a great crowd participation, and it was clear fans were also there to see them. My personal favorite moment of the set was the guitar solo in “Soundcheck” which had a really cool guitar tone. CATB definitely gained a fan in me, and I proceeded to download their albums when I got home.

Right as Green Day was about to hit the stage, their pink bunny came out as the entire crowd sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” into “Blitzkrieg Bop.” This moment never ceases to have me in awe, as it’s a family bonding over their sheer love of rock ‘n’ roll, while waiting for the legends to come out. Finally the lights went dark, and the crowd roared. It was time for Green Day.

Opening with “Know Your Enemy” off of 2011’s 21st Century Breakdown, the band brought up a young fan on stage to sing the song with them. They would go on to bring two more audience members on stage, one to sing the bridge and last chorus of “Longview,” and the other to play guitar on their cover of Operation Ivy‘s “Knowledge.” The fan who played guitar was called up as he told the band his 15th birthday was approaching. After playing, Billie Joe [Armstrong] even let him keep the guitar. It was truly special.

As Green Day powered through their 26-song set, they made it clear why they are still rock giants in the year 2017. Mixing in classics like “She,” and “Basket Case,” with newer songs off 2016’s “Revolution Radio,” Green Day played the perfect song for everyone. A highlight of the set for me, was their encore, consisting of “American Idiot” into the beast “Jesus Of Suburbia.” Hearing the 9 minute track live was unforgettable, and something I’ll remember for a long long time.

Remaining Tour Dates:

09/06 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater
09/08 – Austin, TX – Austin360 Amphitheater
09/09 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
09/11 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
09/13 – Chula Vista, CA – Sleep Train Amphitheatre
09/16 – Los Angeles, CA – Rose Bowl
11/01 – Arena Rio – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
11/03 – Anhembi Arena – Sao Paulo, Brazil
11/05 – Pedreira Paulo Laminsky – Curitiba, Brazil
11/07 – Beira Rio Stadium – Porto Alegre, Brazil
11/10 – Velez Stadium – Buenos Aires, Argentina
11/12 – Estadio Bicentenario de la Florida – Santiago, Chile
11/15 – Estadio Nacional – Lima, Peru
11/17 – Simon Boliva Park – Bogota, Colombia
11/19 – Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez – Mexico City, Mexico